preside

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

intransitive v. To hold the position of authority; act as chairperson or president.

intransitive v. To possess or exercise authority or control.

intransitive v. Music To be the featured instrumental performer: presided at the keyboard.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

v. To act as president or chairperson.

v. To exercise authority or control, oversit.

v. To be a featured solo performer.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

intransitive v. To be set, or to sit, in the place of authority; to occupy the place of president, chairman, moderator, director, etc.; to direct, control, and regulate, as chief officer

intransitive v. To exercise superintendence; to watch over.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

To be set over others; have the place of authority, as a chairman or director; direct and control, as a chief officer: usually denoting temporary superintendence and direction: as, to preside over a society; to preside at a public meeting.

To exercise superintendence and direction; have a guiding or controlling influence: as, the fates preside over man's destiny.

Examples

The object of the Royal Commission, over which I have the honour to preside, is to strengthen the foundations and pillars of justice by drawing blueprints for im provement of the laws of Ontario as they express the power of the state in its relation to the individual.

Neapolis, [1358] which is near Zarbus, [1359] and Eulogius, and Sobelus the presbyter, be sent to us, that we be not destitute of such as preside over the divine word as Moses also says, "Let the Lord God look out a man who shall guide this people, and the congregation of the Lord shall not be as sheep which have no shepherd."

If one of Emily's sick headaches came on, it would be Susan's duty to care for her tenderly, and to read to her in a clear, low, restful voice when she was recovering; to write her notes, to keep her vases filled with flowers, to "preside" at the tea-table, efficient, unobtrusive, and indispensable.